“Mom, can you please stop setting me up on dates?”

“Kyungsoo, my dear, you know I’m not doing this because I like to,”

I roll my eyes as she says the words and follow along as she continues.

“It’s because I’m concerned about you and your father had trusted me with you, too,” She glances at me and I immediately stop mimicking her.  “Don’t you roll your eyes at me, Do Kyungsoo,”

“Yes, mother,” I answer, rolling my eyes anyway.

She glides closer and I meet her eyes, a smile on my face.

She wipes that away with a flick of her fingers, hitting my forehead with quite a thump.

“Ow,” I wince, wondering how such slender fingers could have that much power.  “Mom—“

My words are quickly cut off by her quick hands, jabbing at my sides and my stomach, making me double over in laughter.  I fall back onto the sofa and she sits on it too, keeping up her constant tickling.

Having enough, she stands up and clears , brushing away a loose strand of hair from her face.  “Well,” She sighs, the grin on her face still evident while she hangs her arms together by her stomach, a posture she maintains at all times except for the times that she is with me.  “I expect you to be at the restaurant and attend to your date as planned, son,”

I groan and flinch as she turns back, afraid of her hands.  “Yes, mother,”

“She’s pretty, for a start,” She hands me my date’s portfolio and kisses me on the cheek. 

“You have marvelous taste, my queen,” I bow towards her, evoking laughter from her lips, putting more life into her young face.

“I love you, too, dear prince,” She glides out the door after throwing me a final wink.

Might as well do this for my mother.

I scan through the date’s files and pull on my casual blazer, walking past the mirror without even a glance.

I am Do Kyungsoo and my mother is the queen.

I am the prince and I am looking for a spouse.

***

“D.O-ssi!”

My head turns towards the call, my eyes landing on the woman who said my name.  She had her hand up, half sitting on the chair by the window, a half-empty cup of coffee on the table. 

“Hello, Minyoung-ssi,” I dip my head in a polite bow towards her and straighten up as I see her reply.

“Hello,” She throws me a shy smile and gestures for me to take the seat across from her.

“I’m sorry, this isn’t a very good start,” I scratch the back of my head.  “This is the first time we’ve met and I’m already late,”

She lets out a pretty laugh and shakes her head in denial.  “No, no, it’s absolutely fine.  I always consider coming early to appointments,”

Her face brightens as she lifts the corner of her lips to smile at me.  God, she really is pretty.  Not too much skin exposure too, I realize, as she had on a dress that fell down a length below her knees a pretty peach color she combined with a white cardigan, and a white, flower-shaped hairband that put her hair together on one side of her shoulder.

“So, I suppose your parents had you go on dates like these too?” I say, setting my elbows comfortably on the table.

“Oh, yes,” She leans forward, following my example.  “You don’t know how many dates I have to go to.  Every single chance,” She rolls her eyes. 

“We’re on the same page then,” I laugh along with her, understanding her position very well.

Being nobles, we are allowed very little time to ourselves, moreover pick our own partners or even manage to fall in love.  Sometimes, it’s not bad, when you get to meet nice, beautiful people, but sometimes, it’s exhausting when you have to face people who treat you like crap or up to you for your money.

“Well then, D.O-ssi,” Minyoung stands up and sets her bag on her shoulder.  “It has been an awfully pleasant meeting for me,”

I stand up as she does, replying to her bow.  “It has been terribly pleasing indeed, Minyoung-ssi,”

We laugh at the constant use of oxymoron within our conversation as I hold the door open for her to step out. 

“You’re a very nice man, D.O-ssi,” She tilts her head at me prettily, patting my arm.  “It would be undeniably wonderful for the woman who would have her hand taken by you in marriage,”

“To you, too, Minyoung-ssi,” I smile at her words.  “I do hope you live a long, happy life with your current man,”

“Sharp eye, sir,” She throws me a mock salute as she laughs, the ring on her finger glinting under the afternoon sunlight.  “I hope we stay well acquaintaned, D.O-ssi.  And I hope you find that woman soon,”

I wave at her while she mounts her black limo, driving away and disappearing round a corner. 

That’s how my dates always end.  My nice dates, end up with them having another person in their minds.  My bad dates, end up with me bringing up conversations that show them how bad the consequences are if they were to be married to me just because they seek my fortune or even plan something against me and my family.  Politely, of course, in such a way that I have to avoid direct statements and let them figure it out on their own.  I only have two kinds of dates, really.  The nice ones get me pretty, well-mannered acquaintances and the bad ones get me reputation.

Don’t get me wrong, I never dare tarnish my mother’s name.  Nor my father’s.  If I hadn’t been me, I wouldn’t have gone to these dates; my mother would marry me to some woman I didn’t know without even asking my opinion.  That woman would be someone my family trusts and has no dirty records to be seen.

But as you witnessed, I do, indeed, get sent out to dates. 

And those dates bring us no harm.

Because my mother knows what it gets the kingdom, what it gets her, and what it gets me.

Whether the people I meet are bad ones or nice ones, we keep the meetings on check and on a regular basis.

I am Do Kyungsoo and my mother is the queen.

I am the prince and I am still looking for a spouse.